Cotton picker spindle moistener



June 21, 1955 F. w. BARBKNECHT 2,711,066

COTTON PICKER SPINDLE MOISTENER Filed March 2, 1955 2 $he etsSheet 1 //vVENTOR FRED w. BARB/(IVECHT United States Patent COTTON PICKER SPINDLEMOISTENER Fred W. Barbknecht, Palos Heights, 11]., assignor toInternational Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationMarch 2, 1953, Serial No. 339,735

16 Claims. (CI. 56-41) This invention relates to moisteners for cottonpicker spindles.

A general object of this invention is toprovide a novel inexpensivemoistener assembly of simple and durable construction which may bereadily. incorporated in exist' ing machines and wherein the parts arearranged so that they may be readily, individually replaced when worn orbroken.

A more specific object of the invention is-to devise a novel moistenerincorporating a trough into which water is adapted to'be delivered, thetrough mounting a moistener pad which is adapted to absorb the waterfrom the trough through capillary action and the pad providing a surfaceover which the spindles are adapted to brush.

A further object of the invention is to devise such a novel moistenerwherein the moistener-pad is formed of a sponge like substance withparticles of substantially harder wear resistance substance imbeddedtherein at the spindle contacting face thereof so as to resist or reducewear to the minimum on thesponge pad.

The invention contemplates controlling the amount or" water or lubricantdelivered or applied to the spindles by adjusting the wiping faces ofthe moistener pads with respect to the spindles to regulate thecompression of the spindles which effects a pumping actionto bring thewater to the surface.

A still further object of the invention is to devise a moistener padassembly adapted to cooperate with horizontal rows of spindles, theassembly incorporating a series of vertically stacked troughs, eachtrough having an overflow connection to the trough therebelow and theuppermost trough having'a connection to a supply of moistener fluid sothat moistener fluid is caused to flow from the uppermost to thelowermost troughs in series thereby effecting a simple distribution ofthe fluid throughout the entire moistener assembly.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent fromthe specification andthe drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view with parts broken awayand shown in section of a moistener assembly shown in association withthe picker spindles and housing.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away andshown in section of the moistener assembly.

Figure 3 is an enlargedplan view of a moistener container.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the moistener container elementtaken substantially in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of 'the moistener pad with partsbrokenaway and shown in section.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line6-6 of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse view of the moistener pad and the cupshownin assembled relationship taken substantally, on line 7-7 of Figure2. I

2 Describing the invention in detail, the;moistener assembly generallydesignated 2, is adaptedfor cooperation with the cotton-pickerrspindleassembly designated 6 and comprises a support standard or carrier 7comprising an upper shaft 8 with a threaded upper, reducedend 9projected through an opening 10 within the top wall '11 of the pickerdrum housing 6. 'The reduced portion 9 has a nut 12 threaded thereonwhich cooperates with a shoulder 13, of shaft 8 and abutable against theunderside of the plate 11 to lock the vertical shaft'8 in adjustedposition. The lower end of the shaft 8 projects through an opening 14 inan intermediate plate 15 of the housing 6, the plate 15 being carriedfrom the sides '16 of the housing 6. A guide collar 1% is mounted on theunderside of the plate 15 and is sleeved about the lower end of theshaft 3 projecting beneath the plate 15, the guide collariILSbeingsecured to the plate 15 as by bolts 19. Thelower end of the shaft 8 mayhave a downwardly I open axial bore in threaded engagement with the 1 ofthe related Wall 31 and positioned in registry with the upper threadedend 21 of a coaxial shaft 22, the shaft 22 being provided at its lowerend with a suitable bearing 23 in guided engagement with a bearing 24removably mounted on the bottom plate 25 of the housing 6; It will beappreciated from a consideration of Figural that the shaft 22 is adaptedfor vertical adjustment pursuant to rotation of the shaft 8 when thesame is engaged'at its wrench engaging upper end '26 and upon looseningof the nut 12, said rotation of the shaft 8 effecting threading orunthreading of the end21 with respect to bore 20.

The lower end of the shaft 22 may carry above the bearing 23, which maybefixed to'the shaft 22 in any suitabie manner as by press-fittingorwelding or eve'nby threading, if desired, a cap 27 extending over thebearing 23 and the bearing 24 and ontop of this cap 27 are mountedabout-the shafts 22 a vertical series of troughs or moistener liquidcontainers generally designated 28.

Each'container 28 is an-elongated structure comprising a generallycircular collar 29 atone base end with a vertical bore snugly receivingthe shaft 22 therethrough andimmediately adjacent to this mountingportion 29, each moistener has a radially outwardly extending integralupwardly open trough or container 30 comprising interconnected spacedend walls '31 and 32, laterally spaced side walls 33 and 34-, and abottom wall 35 the walls 32-34- providing an upper edge 35a whichoutlines a top opening 35b of the container. The member 28 may be analuminum casting or may be made of any other metal of suitable plasticsubstance and may have outturned peripheral flanges 36 and 3'7 along theupper edges of its side walls 33 and 34-. The end wall or base web 31projects above and below the container 30 and is integral with thecollar 29. Each casting 28 has inlet and outlet openings'38 and 39 coredin the wall 31 thereof and the openingSS may have its upper end openthrough the upper face of the wall 31 and may have I its lower endopenthrough the side of the wall 31 facing into the troughlongitudinally thereof, the lower'margin of the inlet opening beingabove the level of the upper edges of the side walls and end wall 32 ofthe trough. 'The outlet opening39 may communicateat its upperend withthe trough through the side of the Wall. 31 facing thereinto and may bedisposed at a level intermediate the upper and lower extremities of thetrough and the lowerend of the opening 39 may be opened through. thebottom edge upper end of the intake opening 38 of the moistenercontainer therebelow asbest seen in Figure 2. 'The lowermost moistenermay have its discharge opening 39 either plugged, if desired, or, asshown in Figure 1,-it may discharge onto the top side of the cap 27 andthen run off from the drum housing onto the ground. The uppermostmoistener container may have its inlet opening 38 in registry with thedischarge opening 40 of a header 41 sleeved about the shaft 22 andclamped against the uppermost container by means of a nut 42 threaded onthe shaft 22 at its upper end 21 and on its underside in engagement asat 43 with the top side of the header, the nut 42 clamping all of thecontainers tightly to each other with the passages 39, 38 of successivecontainers in registry, the lowermost container 28 seating at 44 againstthe flange of the cap 27.

The header 41 communicates through a conduit 45 with a reservoir 46which contains the moistening fluid, which is preferably water, and theflow through the conduit 45 may be controlled by a suitable controlvalve 47 to regulate the amount of fluid which flows from the reservoir46 into the moistener containers. The conduit 45 may be such as aflexible rubber hose or as shown it may comprise telescoping sections 48and 49 to accommodate vertical adjustment of the shaft 22 and themoisteners carried thereby, the lower section 48 slidably passingthrough an opening 43%: in plate and serving to hold the shaft 22 fromrotating.

As heretofore described, each container defines a rectangular troughopen upwardly and each trough receives a moistening pad 50 preferablyformed of sponge rubber or other suitable cellular sponge like substancesuch as will absorb water and disburse it therethrough through capillaryand seepage action.

The pad 50 is substantially rectangular in plan and has a relativelythin outer free end portion 50 and a thick base end portion 50" and isprovided with a generally flat upper spindle-wiping surface 51 whichslopes upwardly from the free end 52 of the moistener to its base end 53generally parallel to the bottom edge of the conical spindles 54 adaptedto pass and Wipe thereover of the picker drum structure 4 as will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art. The bottom portion 50aof the pad 50 has a complementary fit within the trough and at its inneror base end is disposed in closing relationship to or across the inletand outlet 38 and 39 so that the fluid generally indicated 54' is causedto flow from each inlet 38 into the pad 50 and saturate it and to alsofill the trough and the overflow is caused to seep or flow into theoutlet 39. The upper portion or section 5912 of the pad is provided witha plurality of laterally spaced trans- 1 versely elongated Wearresistant inserts 55, these inserts" having their upper edges coincidentwith the plane of the upper face 51 of the related pad and functioningto providewearing areas for the spindles 54 as they brush over the faces51. These inserts 55 may preferably be of hard rubber and may be bondedto the spongy body 56 of the pad and may extend transversely of the face51. Each pad may also be provided with a plurality of laterally spacedtransverse retainers or fasteners 57, which extend through the body ofthe pad between its upper and lower sides and through its lateral sidesoutwardly thereof and beyond the lateral extremes of the flanges 36 and37 of the related cup through slots 36a and 37a therein and where thesesoft metal clips 57 may be bent downwardly and then under the respectiveflanges 36 and 37 as shown at the left side of Figure 7 at 58 forengagement with the underside of the related flange 36 or 37 in order tohold the associated pad within its moistener cup. The clips 57 may beformed of suitable bendable plastic mate rial, if desired. It will beseen in Figure 7 that the pad has lateral projections 59 beneath eachfastener 57 and overlapping the adjacent flange 36 or 37 for compressionbetween the member 57 and the flange to effect a tight securement.

It will be noted that the provision for vertical adjustments of themoistener assembly 2 obtains a control over the amount of moisture to beapplied to the spindles 54.

The spindles 54 orbit in horizontal planes and byraisw ing themoisteners the spindles are caused to press the pads more than when themoisteners are lowered so as to obtain a varying degree pumping actionand it will be ing in combination, an upright support, a verticalrow ofhorizontally positioned containers for moistening liquid connected tothe support one above the other in vertically spaced relation, eachcontainer having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the inlet of eachcontainer communicatingwith the outlet of the one thereabove, a sourceof fluid, conduit means connecting said source to the inlet of theuppermost container, theoutlet of each container 3 being located in anoverflow intercepting relationshipto the fluid inthe container wherebysaid containers are serially filled in order fromthe uppermostcontainers to the lowest container, and a fluid permeable pad in eachcontainer having an upper spindle-wiping surface.

2. A moistening device according to claim 1 andeach container having anupper edge and an upright wall ex tending above said upper edge and theinlet being located in said wall above the upper edge of the relatedcontainer and directly open to a portion of the pad thereadjacent abovesaid upper edge of the related container.

3. A device for moistening a rotary cotton picking spindle, comprisingin combination, a container for moistening liquid, a support, meansmounting said container generally horizontally from said support, saidcontainer having a circumscribing upper edge defining a top opening, asponge rubber moistener pad carried by the container and having a lowerportion extendingthereinto and an upper portion constituting asubstantial'portion of the pad extending above said upper edge of thecontainer and presenting an upper spindle-engagingsurface.

4. A device for moistening a rotary cotton picking spindle, comprising acontainer for receiving moistening liquid, a support, means for mountingthe containerfrom one end upon said support in a generally horizontalposition, said container having a peripheral upper edge outlining a topopening, said container having a portion at said one end thereofextending upwardly above said upper edge and provided with a fluid inletduct having an opening into said container at a level above said upperedge, a sponge rubber moisture pad mounted within the con-.

tainer for absorbing the liquid therein, said pad having an uppersection extending above the upper edge of the container and providedwith a spindle Wiping face disposed above the level of said openinginsaid portion, and said relation to said opening.

5. A device for moistening a rotary cotton-pickingv spindle, comprisinga support, an elongated sponge rubber moistener pad mounted on saidsupport and having a spindle-wiping face, means operatively associatedwith said pad for supplying it with moistening fluid, and wear resistantinserts in said pad and located solely adjacent.

to said face and each presenting an extensive Wear surface coplanar withsaid face and elongated transversely of the pad and spaced lengthwise ofthe pad.

6. A device for moistening a rotary conical cottonpicking spindlecomprising an elongated container for moistening liquid and having abase end web at one extremity and a free end opposite the extremity, asupport for said container connected to the base end web thereof, saidcontainer having an upper peripheral edge defining an opening in the topthereof, a sponge rubber moistener pad secured to the container andextending therefrom upwardly through said opening above said upper edgeand portion in covering elongated lengthwise of the container, said padhaving a planar diagonal top spindle-wiping face, said pad having athick portion adjacent to the base end web of said container and a thinportion at the free end, said base end having a liquid inlet aperturecommunicating and open directly to the adjacent thick portion of the padand disposed above the upper edge of said container and directedlongitudinally of the pad whereby liquid issuing from the aperture iscaused to flow lengthwise of the pad.

7. A cotton picker spindle moistener assembly comprising an uprightsupport, a container for moistening liquid carried generallyhorizontally on the support, a sponge pad carried in the container andprojecting upwardly therefrom and having an upper side presenting aspindle-wiping face, and means for supplying liquid directly to saidupper portion of the pad and having a conduit communicatively associatedwith said upper portion.

8. In a moistener assembly for rotatable conical cotton pickingspindles, a support, a generally horizontal moistener fluid containerhaving one end connected to the support, means for delivering fluid tothe container connected thereto, a sponge pad having a lower portionfitted into the container for immersion in the fluid and having an upperportion presenting an upper spindlewiping face, said pad upper portionhaving substantial depth and extruding upwardly out of the container andbeing compressible and expansible to eflect a pumping action pursuant tocompression by a spindle to bring the fluid from the container to saidface, and said face being inclined downwardly and outwardly away fromthe support.

9. In a moistener assembly for a conical cotton picker spindle, anelongated moistener fluid container having an open end with flangesthereabout, a moistener pad fitted therein and extending out of thecontainer and having an inclined external spindle-wiping face forcomplementary engagement with the conical periphery of the spindle, andbendable fastener means extending through the pad and about said flangesin securing relationship thereto, said pad being thicker at one end thanthe other and projecting farther out of the container at said one endthan the other.

10. A moistener pad for a conical cotton-picking spindle having a spongerubber body and presenting a spindle-wiping face on a side thereofdisposed at an angle to the major axis thereof for parallel engagementwith the conical periphery of the spindle.

11. A moistener pad according to claim and wearresistant insertsimbedded in said face.

12. A moistener pad according to claim 11 and said inserts beingelongated and formed of hard rubber and extending lengthwisetransversely of said face and integrally united with said body andpresenting a wear surface coplanar with said face.

13. In a cotton-picker-spindle moistener assembly, a support, a seriesof identical horizontally disposed containers for moistening liquidassembled in a vertical row upon said support, and each having an opentop, each container comprising an upright wall having upper and loweredges and an inlet duct open through the upper edge of the wall at oneend and open at its opposite end through the wall into the container ata level above said top, said wall having an outlet duct open at one endthrough said wall into the container in a region intermediate the topand bottom of the container and said outlet duct open at its oppositeend through the bottom edge of the wall, said containers disposed sothat each outlet duct communicating with the inlet duct of the containertherebelow, a source of moistening liquid communicatively connected withthe inlet duct of the container at the upper end of said series ofcontainers, a capillary, perforate, spindle-Wiping moistener pad mountedwithin each container and having a portion disposed against the saidwall of the container across the open ends of the related inlet andoutlet ducts so that the liquid is caused to seep therethrough as it isbeing fed from one container to the other. a

14. In a moistener for a cotton picking spindle, a supporting standard,a container carried thereby and having an open top with outturnedperipheral flanges, a moistener pad having a body with a lower portionin said container and an upper portion projecting upwardly from thecontainer, a fastener comprising a bendable strip extending through thebody at a level approximately coplanar with the top of the container andhaving opposite ends projecting through slots in the flanges at oppositesides of the body, said fastener having opposite ends bent under saidlast-mentioned flanges.

15. A moistener according to claim 14 and said flanges having lateralslots and said body having laterally outwardly projecting portionsdisposed in said slots between respective ends of said fastener andflanges and compressed therebetween to hold the fastener in tightengagement with the flange.

16. A moistener pad for moistening a cotton-picking spindle comprising asponge rubber body presenting a generally rectangular spindle-wipingface on one side and a plurality of hard rubber inserts extendingtransversely of said face into the body and united therewith, saidinserts each having a width substantially coextensive with the width ofsaid face and said pad having one end thicker than the other and saidface extending diagonally from one end to the other.

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